Header-tape



ept. 15, 1959 KLAHRE HEADER-TAPE 3 Sheets 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1952 h M. & @jmqv 4F S w fwd "Q? fig-mad Sept. 15, 1959 Y H. KLAHRE 2,904,080

' HEADER-TAPE FiledD ec. 19, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 2 H. KLAHRE Sept. 15, 1959 HEADER-TAPE Filed Dec. 19, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'l l l l l l l l l l ll l l) 'l'l'n 'I I I I I I I I l s l j l) w 1 V TOR. J7 o BY United States Fatent i;904,6s HEADER-TAPE Hugo Klahre, Saddle "'River, Nil, assignor to Consolidated Trimnlingilorporation, New "York, -N.Y.,-a"corporation of New York -Applicati0n December 19,"19's2,'se1'-iai No. 326,870

s olaims. crass-s90 The present invention relates to woven fabric goods and particularly to long narrow strips ."of fabric having integral tubelike portions woven therein .and relates still more particularly to drapery headers; which drapery headers are constructed and arranged to-be sewed or otherwise-secured to drapes or =the like along the upper marginal edge thereof, with the finger-like portions of drapery hooks inserted into the tube-like portions for supporting said drapes in pleated condition -on drapery rods or the like adjacent the upper :edge of windows orthe like. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a drapery header having hook-receiving tubes woven integrally therewith. I

Another object of the present invention is to. provide a drapery header having hodk-tribes woven integrally therewith without decreasing the tensile strength of said drapery header (either weft-wise or warp-wise).

Another object of thepresent invention is to provide a drapery headerhavin'gintegrally woven 'tube like portions open at only one end.

Another object of the present invention is toprovide a drapery header having integral tube-like portions formed therein, using a single continuous weft-shoot or fi ler.

Another object of the present invention is to. provide a drapery -header having an integral -tube'-like portion woven therein; the warp-wise edges "of said header and the-edge of said tube-like portionbeing Woven so as to'be non-raveling.

Another-object of the present invention is to provide -a drapery headerhaving integral tribe-like portions woven therein and'being wovens'o as toperinit easy and nonsnag'ging insertion of drapery'hooks into said "tube-like portions. H I

Further objects willbe apparent by reference tothe appended specification, claims and drawing; p I

For .the purpose of illustrating the inventionithere is shown in the 'accompanyingdrawin'gs --one 'form thereof whidh is atpresent preferred, although it"is tobe understood that the 'various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can'be variously arranged and organized and that "the invention is not limitedto the precise arrangements and organizations of'theinstrumentalities as herein shown and described.

fpronged 'dr'apery hOoks' inserted in'tothe integral tube-like 'portionsb'ff 'said'd'rapeily header to email "said' head'er and said drape into pleat-likefoihaatioh.

Figure Z'represents a front elevational view ofa portion of a drapery header embodying the present invention, shown at approximatelvtwice no'rinalsi'zej "Figure represents a rear'ele'vational view o ffthepor- Paitented Sept. 15, 1959 -tiono fthe drapery headershown in' Figure 2,-at"the's'an1e scale.

Figure '4 represents a generally schematic View of a 'por'tion-of the same side'ofthe'header shown in Figure 2, on a greatly enlarged scale, illustrating 'the"nianner in header ,-similar to Figure l, but showing'the reverse side (like "Figure 3'); illustrating the manner in which the weft-shoot is laid in the warp-sheds to form the integral "tube-like portions of 'theheader.

Figure -6 represents an enlarged cross sectional view taken generally along-line 6 -"6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7-represents a greatlyenlarged front'el'evational view of a'portion ofone edge of the header "illustrated in Figures 2to -6 inelusive, showing'the manner in which --the continuous weft strand is reversed at the'edg'e of the header'to-form a selvage andto form "parallel weft-shoots Trom'the single weft-strand.

"Figure 8 represents "a horizontal cross-sectional 'view *tkengenerally along line 8 8 of Figure 4.

Drape'ry headers of the general type contemplated "herein are generally woven or made of woven fabrics 'and are'usua'lly narrow'elongate'd strips approximately 4 inches wide more'or less,"for example, in continuousst'r'ip -or roll-form; such'stripsheingcutto any desired'lengths by the ultimate consumer.

Tube-like portions are formed "transversely of said strip -(i.e.= in the direction of the weft-strands) and are generally evenly --spaced along the length of said 'strip. 'The "tube-like portions are constructed and arranged to receive the prongs of'drapery hooks therein so that the drapes to which the header is secured may be supported (in-a drapery rod with the header and the'drapery hooks 'completelyconcea'led "behind the upper marginal portion of thedrape.

ln' the past 'it has been suggested "that drapery headers be constructed by sewing a strip of fabric to the drapes with portions ofthe strip being unsecured,-toform a tunnel-like portion or tube-like portion through which the prongs of the drapery-hook may be inserted (-ezg. Carr Pat ent 834,188). 'Other examples of drapery headers embodying multi-pan'el strips composed of more than one woven fabric portion are shown in Martens -l-,860,-l l0 and in French 2,5 18,301.

-' It has also' b'een suggested that drapery headers be woven of substantially single-ply fabric withtube-likeor tunnel-like portions woven integrally therewith as, for instance, "in French 1,606,357.

The drapery header of the present invention is generally a single-ply fabric formed of a plurality of warpthreads (twistedcot'tonstrands or the like) and having approximately 54 warp-threads per inch. -A desirable form of header approximately l inches Wide-would therefore include approximately 2l6 warp-threads. The header is woven with continuous-weft-strand orshoot,which, afterpassing through oneshed, has its direction reversed around the edgen ost -warp thread, to forrn-a "selvage, and then-passes through the next warp-shed; doubling back arid-forth to forms'uc'eess'ive parallel Weft-strands.

In the-area of the-generally tubular pockets or tubelike poi tio'ns the drapery header "of the presentinvention is made of two plies. Thisis done by separatingthe-waifpthreads in pairs; alternate pairs becoming the warpthreads or one 'ply, and'the' threads of each so-sep'arate'd pair being further separated to form the sheds (or each ply) in which the single continuous weft-strandtravels. The weft-strand-tr'avels alternately in the-sheds formed.

by the warp-threads in both plies, and by controlling the and constructed and arranged for easy insertion of the drapery hook into the tubes.

In theformation of the drapery header of the present invention, the weft-strand is laid so that there are approximately 40 weft-strands or shoots per inch in the singleply body-portion, and so that there are approximately 48 weft-strands per inch in each of the plies of thetwosided'tunnel-portion (a total of approximately 96 weftstrands per inch in the tubular portion of the header).

Inasmuch as it is desirable to make the tunnel-portion or tube-portion only approximately one quarter of an inch wide, there will be approximately 12 weft-strands in -each of the plies in the two-ply tube-portion, or a total of 24 weft-strands in that portion of the header which defines the tube-like portion or tunnel-like portion.

In the drapery-header of the present invention the drapery hook may easily be inserted into the tube-like portion or tunnel-like portion without snagging upon the warp-threads or weft-threads as the prongs of the draperyhooks are inserted into the tubes. This is because the header of the present invention (which includes multistrand warp-threads of cotton or the like) has wefts formed of mono-filament synthetic resins, producing an exceedingly strong, non-snagging tube-like formation in the header into which tubes the prongs of the drapery hook are easily inserted and on which the prongs readily slide because the smooth surface of the mono-filament decreases any tendency on the part of the hook to snag and permits the hook easily to slide within the tubes or tunnels.

As shown in the drawings, the header 10, is formed of v a plurality of warp-threads 11 which may be laid approximately 54 threads per inch and which may be formed of multi-strand cotton fibers, as is illustrated particularly in Figure 7.

The weft-thread12is a single continuous mono-filament strand of synthetic resin or the like which doubles back and forth ask is laid in succeeding sheds along the length of the header. This mono-filament strand 12, as is shown in Figure 7, may be approximately the same diameter The header 10-is composed of alternate single-ply portions 13 and alternate multi-ply portions 14. In the single-ply body-portion 13 the monofilament weft-strand 12 extends from selvage to selvage (i.e. across the entire width of the header 10) and, with the exception of a few sheds on each side of the multi-ply portion 14, only a single strand of the mono-filament 12 is laid in each shed. In the single-ply body-portion 13 all of the warp-threads are used, adjacent warp-threads passing on alternate sides of the transversely extending weft-shoot in each shed.

As is shown particularly in Figures 2 and 4, the tube 15 7 formed 'by the multi-ply section 14 of the header 10 does not extend the full width of the header but terminates somewhat short of each selvage; the tube 15, by way of illustration, being approximately 3% inches long (on a 4-inch wide header) with a inch marginal portion 16 single continuous mono-filament strand 12 is used to form both the outer ply 22 of the tube 15 as well as the inner ply 23; the mono-filament strand 12 extending from selvage to selvage across the ply 23, and extending only from the selvage 17 to the edge 21 in the ply 22.

To form the tube 15, the mono-filament weft-strand 12, as it approaches the tube 15, in the area 16 (between the edge 18 and the selvage 17 and particularly in that area designated by the numeral 24 in Figure 4, is laid so that there are two weft-strands in each shed (in the area 16), thus causing a bunching up of the weft-strands and. increasing the density of the fabric in the area 24 between the tube-edge 18 and the selvage 17.

After the oscillating weft-strand is laid in the shed directly adjacent the multi-ply portion 14, the warpthreads are separated into alternate pairs; one group (including the pair 38) being used to form the outer ply 22 (in the multi-ply portion 14) whereas the other group including the other pairs (as for instance including the warp-threads 25) are used to form the under-ply 23 of the multi-ply portion 14.

In this multi-ply portion 14 the single mono-filament weft-strand first travels only part way across the header, to the edge 21 as is illustrated by the strand 26, and then reverses direction at the edge 21 (around the warp-strand 27) to form a selvage-edge 21 defining the mouth of the tube '15. Thereupon the mono-filament strand, as illustrated by the weft-strand 28, extends back to the selvage 17 where it reverses direction again around the selvage 17 and comes back across the entire header in the shed forming the under-ply 23 to the selvage 20, as is illustrated by the strand 29. This shoot 29 travels completely across the header to the selvage 20 whereupon it reverses itself and returns as the strand 30 in the next adjacent shed of the under-ply 23.

Thereafter the mono-filament strand 12 alternately forms the weft-shoots of the ply 22 and of the ply 23, being laid in as many sheds in each ply as will provide a tube of adequate width (in the drawings there is illustrated a tube 15 formed of 12 sheds per ply), whereupon, at the termination of the multi-ply portion 14 the last weft-strand 31 forming the under-ply 23 reverses around the selvage 17 and returns as the strand 32 in the first shed of the adjacent single-ply body-portion 13.

In the area '33 (adjacent the multi-ply portion 14 and between the tube-edge 18 and the selvage 17) more than one weft-shoot is laid in each shed, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 4.

The laying of more than one weft-strand in each shed in the area between the selvage 17 and the edge 18 of the tube 15 and between the zones 34 and 35 permits the formation of multiply portions 14 wherein there are approximately twice as many weft-strands per lineal inch as in the body-portion 13.

In addition, it is to be noted that the weft-strands, where they double back around the warp-thread 27, draw the warp-thread 27 and its adjacent warp-thread 36 outof-line and close to the pair of warp-threads 37 to form a closely-knit selvage which defines the edge 21 of the tube 15 and which provides an opening which is non raveling and non-snagging and in which a prong of a header-hook can easily be inserted.

It also is to be noted that in each ply 22 and 23 0f the multi-ply portion 14 the number of weft-strands per inch is approximately the same as in the single-ply bodyportion 13 and that (though in each ply of the tube 15 the number of warp-threads has been cut in half) the total number of warp-threads in the zone 14 of the header has not been decreased so that the over-all tensile strength of the header remains the same in the multi-ply portion 14 as in the single-ply portion 13.

By proper manipulation of the heddles, the warpthreads are maneuvered to provide sheds in proper juxtaposition to the line-of-travel of the single shuttle carrying the single weft-strand, so that the entire fabric as hereinbefore described is woven from a single continuous weftstrand.

It is to be understood that each of the warp-threads 1 1 maybe of a mono-filament synthetic fiber like the weft-strands and thattherefore the .entireheader may be made of synthetic fibers, and it is not intended to limit the invention to structures wherein the warp-threads are multi-strands cottonfibers-and the weft-strands aremonofilamentsynthetic fibers,as illustrated in the drawings.

'.-Furthermore, it is to be understood that the present invention maybe manufactured entirely of non-synthetic fibers; i.e. both the weft-threads and the warp-threads may be of multi-strand cotton or the like.

Because of the-increased density of -the.=fabric in the area 16 above the edge 18 of the-tube 15, as well as because of the increased density of "the fabric along the edge ll ofthe' ply 22-of-the-tube 15, the header is made stronger atthe points of greatest frictionor wear. Thus, if a short-pronged hook-is inserted into the tunnel so that the header.(and consequently the entire drape) hangs from the hook by bearing"along the edge 21 of -the tunnel 15, the greater density of 1warp-threads at this point increases the strength of the header. On the other hand, if curtain-hooks having long prongs are inserted into the tubes 115 so that the weight of the header and drape is carried by the tip of the hook where it bears against the closed end of the tunnel tube along the edge :18, the increased density of the fabric in the zone 16 makes the header much stronger and therefore capable of carrying a heavier drape than in headers shown in the prior art.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is the following:

1. A header tape for drapery or curtains or the like, comprising a woven fabric strip having a plurality of warp-threads and having weft-shoots formed by a single continuous weft passing back and forth across the strip, said strip having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply portions formed integrally therewith, said multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weft-wise across the strip with each of the ends of said tubes terminating short of the adjacent selvage of said strip, one end of said tubes being closed, said strip between each of the ends of said tubes and the adjacent selvage being single-ply, at least some of the sheds having two Weft-shoots therein.

2. A header tape for drapery or curtains or the like, comprising a woven fabric strip having a plurality of warp-threads and having weft-shoots formed by a single continuous weft passing back and forth across the strip, said strip having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply portions formed integrally therewith, said multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weft-wise across the strip with each of the ends of said tubes terminating short of the adjacent selvage of said strip, one end of said tubes being closed, said strip between each of the ends of said tubes and the adjacent selvage being single-ply, alternate pairs of warp-threads forming one of said plys while the other pairs of said warp-threads form the other ply in the multi-ply zone forming the tubes in said strip.

3. A header tape for drapery or curtains or the like, comprising a woven fabric strip having a plurality of warp-threads and having weft-shoots formed by a single continuous weft passing back and forth across the strip, said strip having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply portions formed integrally therewith, said multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weft-wise across the strip with each of the ends of said tubes terminating short of the adjacent selvage of said strip, one end of said tubes being closed, said strip between each of the ends '3 of said tubes and the adjacent selvage being single-ply, the-weft-shoots in one of the plies in the multi=ply zone being shorter than the weft-shoots in the other of the plies in the multi-ply'zone.

-4. A header tape for drapery or curtains-or the like, comprising a *woven fabric strip having a plurality of warp-threads and having weft-shoots formed by a single continuous weft passing backand forth across 'the strip,

said strip having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply :portions formed integrally therewith, said multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weft-wise-across the strip with each of the ends'of said tubesterrninating short of the adjacent selvage of said strip,--one end of said tub es being closed, said strip between-each of the-ends of said tubes "and :the adjacent selvage being single-ply, both plies in the multi-ply zone having'the-same number of :comprising a woven fabric strip having a plurality of warpthreads and "having weft-shoots formed by a single continuous weft passing back and forth across the strip, said strip having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply portions formed integrally therewith, said multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weft-wise across the strip with each of the ends of said tubes terminating short of the adjacent selvage or" said strip, one end of said tubes being closed, said strip between each of the ends of said tubes and the adjacent selvage being single-ply, the pair of warp-threads which together define the edge of the opening of said tube being drawn out-of-line and woven closely adjacent the next alternate pair of warp-threads to form a selvage for said tube, in one ply, said selvage including four side-by-side warp-threads.

6. A unitary header-tape for drapery, curtains or the like, having integral tubes formed at spaced intervals along its length and extending transversely thereof, said header formed from a plurality of warp-threads, and a single continuous weft, said tubes being shorter than the width of said header, said tubes being formed of two plies created by separating pairs of warp-threads to form multiply fabric in the tube-zone, said tubes being closed at one end and open at the other, said closed end being spaced from the adjacent edge of said header, the warp-sheds in said header having a single weft-shoot in each shed ex cept in the area between the closed end of the tube and the adjacent edge of the header and extending along the length of the header in alignment with said multi-ply portion and for a few sheds to each side thereof, in which area each shed has two weft-strands.

7. A unitary header-tape for drapery, curtains or the like, having integral tubes formed at spaced intervals along its length and extending transversely thereof, said header formed from a plurality of warp-threads, and a single continuous weft, said tubes being shorter than the width of said header, said tubes being formed of two plies created by separating pairs of warp-threads to form multi-ply fabric in the tube-zone, said tube being closed at one end and open at the other, said closed end being spaced from the adjacent edge of said header, the warpsheds in said header having a single weft-shoot in each shed except in the area between the closed end of the tube and the adjacent edge of the header and extending along the length of the header in alignment with said multi-ply portion and for a few sheds to each side thereof, in which area each shed has two weft-strands, each ply of said tube having half the number of warp-threads as the single-ply body-portion adjacent each side of the tube.

8. A unitary header-tape for drapery, curtains or the like, having integral tubes formed at spaced intervals along its length and extending transversely thereof, said header formed from a plurality of warp-threads, and a single continuous weft, said tubes being shorter than the width of said header, said tubes being formed of two plies created by separating pairs of warp-threads to form multiply fabric in the tube-zone, said tube being closed at one 7 end and open at the other, said closed end being spaced from the adjacent edge of said header, the Warp-sheds in said header having a single weft-shoot in each shed except in the area between the closed end of the tube and the adjacent edge of the header and extending along the length of the header in alignment with said multi-ply portion and for a few sheds to each side thereof, in which area each shed has two weft-strands, alternate pairs of warp-threads being divided along the edge of said multiply portion to form'the warp-threads of each ply of said multi-ply portion, all ofsaid warp-threads combining at the opposite side of said multi-ply portion to form another single-ply portion.

9. A header-tape-for drapery, curtains'or the like, comprising a woven fabric strip formed of a plurality of warps and a single continuous weft and having a plurality of spaced-apart multi-ply portions forming tubes extending weftwise transversely of the tape, the ends of said tubes being spaced substantially inwardly of the edges of said tape, and the fabric in the edge of said tube at the entrance-opening thereof, and which edge of the tube is spaced inwardly from the adjacent edge of the tape, as aforementioned, having a fabric-density substantially greater than that of the main portion of the tube-wallof which said edge is a part, thereby to give increased strength to said edge better to enable it to support the curtain or drapery to which thetape is sewn, as such edge rests in and bears against the crotch of the pleat-forming and supporting hook between the pleat-forming prongs thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Mar. 8, 1932 

